About Me

This Blog focuses on a few of my favorite activities. Most notably Cycling, Amateur Radio and Target Shooting. I believe that we learn best by doing. Since I am always engaged in one project or another, the blog is the journal where I keep track of my accomplishments and ideas.

Tuesday, August 24, 2010

Photography

Every blog post goes better with a picture or two. I try to keep my image count between one to three pictures per post. It's often quite a struggle narrowing down a group of photos that lock in with the text and create a balanced and concise layout.

A few pleasant side effects have come about in these last eight months as I have carved out my own little pigeon hole in the blogosphere. I have not concentrated this hard on writing since I was back in high school. My spelling has improved quite a bit and because I don't have to work to a deadline I have found it much easier to write only when the creative juices begin to flow.

Another unintended consequence of my blogging activity has been a rekindling of my interest in photography. I've always had a camera but my wife is the shutterbug in the family so my job is usually carrying around the tripod and lenses and such for her. She has an artist's eye for a shot and I have learned much from simply paying attention to her style. Because of this blog I purchased a new camera this summer and now find myself grabbing it in the morning along with my keys, cellphone and wallet as I head out the door. Interesting opportunities are everywhere if one just watches for them.

By reading other blogs and seeing the work of others has really opened my eyes to different perspectives and ideas. I have seen many images on blogs that are every bit as good as those published in books and magazines. Unfortunately I don't have allot of time to devote to learning the features of my camera to get the most out of it. Perhaps when the days grow shorter and colder temperatures force us indoors once again I can sit down with the manual and scratch a bit more than the surface.

This weekend I was waiting to pick up my wife from the hospital where she works. Glancing up from the staff parking lot I noticed a brick smokestack that I presume vents off the exhaust from the Hospital's incinerator. I've looked at this feature a hundred times but as I sat there marveling at such a tall structure made out of bricks It suddenly occurred to me what a unique subject it would be for my lens. So instead of my usual method of using photography to augment the subject matter of a particular blog entry here is a post that celebrates the simple act of taking a picture with no preconceived intent.

Thanks Mike. I used to spend time looking for the perfect frame in the natural world. While I still enjoy a good nature shot, lurking around right under our noses are some pretty amazing and thought provoking images.

A picture of a majestic mountain range or quiet forest scene are a pleasure to look at for sure but they are what they are. I am starting to like photographs that tell a story or spur off multiple trains of thought in different directions.

I've been looking at these pics for 3 days now and I still stuck on thinking what it must have been like for the masons building this thing one brick at time higher and higher. What a pain it must have been hoisting bricks and wet mortar to the upper end.

The workers using the ladder and scaffolding were not around. I don't know what they are doing probably replacing old mortar up at the top or cleaning the bore. Would loved to have talked with them. The other thing I've been thinking is if I was allowed, would I climb that sucker!